Batter&#39;s protector



July 4, 1961' c. F. DoUGHTY 2,990,549

BATTER'S PROTECTOR Filed April 29, 1959 Cea/a E Doughty 1N VEN TOR.

United States Patent O 2,990,549 BATTERv APRO'IECTO'R Ceola F. Doughty, Rte. 1,0ld Hammond Highway, l Baton Rouge,La. I f Filed Apr.' 29, 1959, Ser. No. 809,735

` 4Claims. .`(Cl.,2-= 2)"' This invention relates to sporting equipment and more particularly to a protector for abatter. A11 object of the inventionis to provide a safety device providing protection lfor aV batter when he is standing at the plate awaiting a pitch from the pitcher on the mound. There area number of protective devices for athletes `and specifically, there are numerous'protectors for baseball players. For instance,` plastic helmets are used, shinguards for the catcher, a chest protector for the catcher, Ia mask also for the catcher, sliding pads and others which are less common. Yet, to date there has been 'no protection for the batter standing in the-batters box and awaiting a pitch, which protectionpwould be for the 4chest and lower part of the anatomy. Very serious injury canbe caused by a pitch striking a batter inthe region of a number of organs including the kidneys `and heart. *I-n fact, at least one death has occurred comparatively recently by Ia pitch striking a youthful'baseball player in 'thevv region of the heart. The youth died before he couldbe carried ofi the baseball diamond. f i Y A protector in accordance with this invention provides protection yfor either the left or the right side of the batter depending on whether the batter is right-handed or lefthanded. A righthanded batter standing in the batters box, if he is standing properly in accordance with reasonably accepted stances, will have his left arm' elevated so that the portion of the arm between the elbow and the shoulder is away from the body, elbow rather high so that this portion or the is approximately horizontal. This leaves the under-arm portion of the left side of the rightdhanded batter exposed and vulnerable to wild and brush-oil pitches; i

The protector in accordance with this invention is lightweight and covers the above mentioned and described exposed portiorl of the body of the baseball player when he is standing at Itheplate. Furthermore, the protector is so constructed that it extends approximately to the vertical center line of the batter and a little `farther on both his fronty and rear sides covering the majority of the stomach area, the kidneys and other organs inthe abdominal area.

' VAn"irnportantfeature of the inventionis that it iscornpletely reversible for left-handed and right-handed batters. There is no necessity for a left-handed protector and a right-handed protector inasmuch as both lett-handed and right-handed batters may use the protector with equal facility.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings -forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, yand in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a batter standing at the plate awaiting a pitch and having one of the protectors as it should be worn.

FIGURE 2 is a ffront View of the batter in FIGURE l.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the protector.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

In the accompanying drawings a baseball batter is shown in FIGURE l with the bat awaiting a pitch. The batter is a right-handed batter and therefore the protector 12 is arranged to protect the left side of the batter. The protector is constructed of a ilexi-ble panel 14 made of a resilient and flexible pad 18, tor example sponge rubber,

rear of the shoulder.

2,990,549 latented July 4, 1961 ICC together lwith two coverings 20 `and 22 which may be identical. `The coveringslareflfastened .to theirontx and rear lsurfaces of pad 18 `and are held united thereto preferably by`stitching.Vv 'Ihe stitching 24 may be in a quilted pattern `for lstrength of constructionv and for neatness of appearance.` t i ,I

The panel may be considered as made of a number of portions in accordance with the positions on the body where they are worn. There is aiirst portion 26 which covers morethan one-half of the chest, abdomen, stomach, etc. (FIGURE 2). This irst portion has, when worn, an essentially horizontal 'lower edge 28, -an essentially upright edge 30 connected at rightangle's, to edge 28 and termi'- nating short of the top Aapart of. portion 26. Edge 30 continues as'an arcuate edge32 ttollowing along portion 26 to the top of the shoulder.

There is anintermediaite portion 34 having indelinite boundaries with portions 26 and 36, the portion 36 being identical to portion 26 in construction and size as well as shape. i Portion'34, portion 36'and portion 26 have a cornmon lower edge 28. The portion 34 is adapted to` -ft beneath the under-'armof thebatter and extends straight down to cover the vulnerable side of the batter as he stands in the batters box (FIGURE 1). The upper edge 40 of'porti0n34is arcuate andcontinues upwardly to meet edges 42 and 46 of portions 48 and 50. The arcuate edge 40 forms an armhole through which the lett arm of the right-handed batter 10 is passed. rI'he portions 48 and 50 are deiined as the upper parts of portions 26 and 36, namely those portions which iit over the front and Edges 42 and 46 are brought -together and held in place on the top of the shoulder of the batter by means of straps 52 and 54 having buckles 56 and 58.

There are means, yfor instance adjustable straps 60 and 62 attached to edges 30 and 31 of portions 26 and 36 respectively. Fasteners, as snaps or hooks and eyes 61 or snaps are on straps 601-a11d 62 to fasten the ends together. As shown in 4FIGURE 2 these str-aps extend aroundy the unprotected side of the batter'and are quickly attached and detached to enable the protector to be slipped on and oit very rapidly. f

By having the protector symmetrical about a line extending from the bottom of the armhole to the center of edge 26, the protector is completely interchangeable by merely reversing it so that it may iit a left-handed batter or a right-handed batter with'equal facility. i

Itis to be understood that various changes may be made herein without departing trom the invention. For inst-ance, the straps 52 and 54 may be substituted by other fasteners such -as hooks and eyes, snaps or even a less practical slide fastener.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous moditications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as Ifollows:

l. A protector for the chest, stomach, back and one side of `a leftehanded or right-handed hitting batter, said protector comprising a ilexible panel which has |a iirst portion adapted to t over one side of the chest and stomach area of the batters body, a second portion adapted to it over the side of the batter which faces the pitcher, and a third portion adapted to it over `approximately half of the back of the batter, said panel having upper portions formed as integral extensions of said rst Iand third portions and extending upwardly trom said iirst and third portions in front of and in back of the shoulder of the batter to leave the neck of the batter completely free, means fastening said upper portions together over the same shoulder of the batter adjacent to the side covered by said second portion and thereby leaving an arm hole above said second portion, said panel having an essentially straight lower edge, said arm hole having a curved edge, and said third portion between said lower edge and said arm hole edge being continuous and of approximately the same height as said first portion, said panel being reversible to iit on the left or right side of a batter and the corresponding adjacent left and right parts of his body depending on whether the batter is batting light-handed or left-handed.

2. A protector for the chest, stomach, back and one side of a left-handed or right-handed hitting batter, said protector comprising a exible panel which has a first portion adapted to tit over one side of the chest and stomach area of the batters body, a second portion adapted to fit over the side of the batter which faces the pitcher, and a third portion adapted to t over approximately half f the back of the batter, said panel having upper portions formed as integral extensions of said first and third portions and extending upwardly from said first and third portions in front of and in back of the shoulder of the batter to leave the neck of the batter completely free, means fastening said upper portions together over the same shoulder of the batter adjacent to the side covered by said second portion and thereby leaving an arm hole above said second portion, said panel having Ian essentially straight lower edge, said arm hole having a curved edge, and said third portion between said lower edge and said arm hole edge being continuous and of approximately the same height as said rst portion, said panel being reversible to t on the left or right side of a matter and the corresponding adjacent left and right parts of his body depending on whether the batter is batting right-handed or left-handed, said panel being constructed of a resilient pad having coverings on both surfaces thereof.

3. A protector for the chest, stomach, back and one side of a left-handed or right-handed hitting batter, said protector comprising a iiexible panel which has :a first portion adapted to fit over one side of the chest and stomach area of the batters body, a second portion adapted to iit over the side of the batter which faces the pitcher, and a third portion adapted to t over approximately half of the back of the batter, said panel having upper por- Vtions formed as integral extensions of said iirst and third portions and extending upwardly `from said first and third portions in front of -and in back of the shoulder of A the batter to leave the neck of the batter completely free,

means fastening said upper portions together over the same shoulder of the batter adjacent to the side covered by said second portion and thereby leaving an arm hole above said second portion, said panel having an essentially straight lower edge, said arm hole having a curved edge, and said third portion between said lower edge and said arm hole edge being continuous and of approximately the same height as said first portion, said panel being reversible to tit on the left or right side of a batter and the corresponding adjacentfleft and right parts of his body depending on whether the batter is batting right-handed or lefthanded, said panel being constructed of a resilient pad having coverings on both surfaces thereof, and means uniting said coverings on said pad.

4. A protector for a batter, said protector comprising a flexible panel which has a first portion adapted to fit over one side of the chest and stomach area of the batters body, a second portion adapted to tit over the side of the batter which faces the pitcher, and a third portion adapted to fit over approximately half of the back of the batter, Said panel having upper portions formed as integral extensions of said iirst and third portions and extending upwardly from said first and third portions in front of and in back of the shoulder of the batter to leave the neck of the batter completely free, means fastening said upper portions together over the same shoulder of the batter adjacent to the side covered by said second portion and thereby leaving an arm hole above said second portion, said panel having an essentially straight lower edge, said arm hole having a curved edge, and said third portion between 'said lower edge and said larm hole edge being continuous yand of approximately the same height as said first portion, said panel being reversible to tit on the left or right Side of a batter `and the corresponding adjacent left and right parts of his body depending on whether the batter is batting right-handed or left-handed, said first and third portions having outer generally upright edges spaced from each other when said panel is on the body of the batter, and fastening means extending from said edges and engageable around the side of the batters body opposite to the side covered by said second portion.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 723,750 Stein Mar. 24, 1903 2,468,841 Siegel May 3, 1949 2,494,664 Lubow Jan. 17, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 471,249 Canada. Feb. 6, 1951 

